Captain Obvious could tell you that with a website named Barn Finds, we see a lot of barn finds around here. Some are the genuine real deal with decades of authentic dust and debris, and others are sprinkled with detritus from a corn crib and are barn finds in name only. Then we come to this gem advertised as a barn find. If you want four-wheeled proof that some guys have all the luck, check out this barn find 1970 TR6 for sale on Facebook Marketplace in Rochester Hills, Michigan for the reasonable sum of $9,500. Thanks go to Jim A. for the tip on this most unlikely barn find!
Ok, the story on this maroon beauty is that it was the seller’s uncle’s car and it sat in a barn for 30 years. Once safely in the seller’s possession, the car was gone through to get it back on the road. The ad mentions that the braking system was thoroughly rebuilt and it is obvious that it was cleaned up. It is advertised as a car that runs and drives well.
As to the aesthetics, the car is being sold with two separate soft tops. One is the standard convertible top with a rather unusual white border. The other is a cockpit cover that allows you to protect most of the cockpit from the weather when the top is down. This cover can be used to protect the car on a day when you want to ride top down even though there is potentially inclement weather around. I have also seen accounts where the driver’s side is opened just enough to allow for the driver, but the rest is buttoned up. The purpose is to trap warm air from the heater around the lower part of the driver’s body when it is cold.
We can also see that the paint looks incredible given such a long slumber. Thirty years is a long time to avoid sun fading, marks from items stored on top of the immobile car, and the odd cat with digestion issues. The ad also states that the car has fiberglass fenders on all four corners. Perhaps a Barn Finds reader can comment on this, as I have never seen any mention of aftermarket fiberglass fenders for a TR6. Is this a thing?
We are also told that the interior and seats are in great shape. A close look at the picture above leads one to believe that most of the interior is brand new. The vinyl on the seats, emergency brake boot, and shift boot look like they are fresh from Moss Motors. The same goes for the dash and carpets. We can see wear on the door sills and the wood dash looks to be a candidate for removal and refurbishment.
Under the hood, the inline six that these Triumphs are famous for appears to be clean enough to be a fresh rebuild. There are a few spots of age and wear here and there, and an inline fuel filter suggests that there may still be some sediment and varnish left in the fuel tank. I am also unsure as to when zip ties were invented, but I believe they weren’t seen in Triumphs of this vintage when they were on the showroom floor. The big question concerns what kind of barn this Triumph slumbered in. It doesn’t look like it hung out in a barn that had animals involved. In fact, the amazing condition, even after a deep cleaning and detail, suggests this Triumph’s sarcophagus was as dark and protective as King Tut’s tomb. What do you think? Is this a partially restored car passed off as a barn find as a sales gimmick or do you think it really waited 30 years in some sort of barn for a second chance at life?
The second “soft top” is called a tonneau cover, you young whippersnappers.
Kids today.
I will attest that the tonneau cover is priceless on a chilly day. They really keep the heat where needed yet let you enjoy the top down.
Plus it’ll keep the theives out,as they wouldn’t know
how to open it.
“….I have also seen accounts where the driver’s side is opened just enough to allow for the driver, but the rest is buttoned up…”
Seriously? I can’t possibly be that old… and the author can’t possibly be that young…
The “unusual white border” on the convertible top is a silver reflective strip that was standard on the TR6.
Fiberglass front wings I could see mounted but rear 1/4’s…don’t see how they would mount.
I put unrusted rear fenders from a wreck on my TR6 that I freshened in 1978. Pretty sure it was just a bolt-on.
Fiberglas would work the same if they are available
Fiberglass fenders were commonly available back in the 1990s. I remember putting them on a couple of our cars. Back then it was an easy solution to a common problem in upstate NY where salt rusted out the fenders in a few short years.
Fiberglass fenders were available in the 60s. My friend had a ’63 4 and was also a ski instructor at a resort that was 2 hours away in PA. Lotsa salt so his fenders wore through quickly. He added glass front fenders in 1969.
It’s a pity that the North American market never got to experience the thrill of diving the PI version.
But they were also spared the unreliability of the original Lucas PI fuel pump… with its cavitation problems in warmer climates… Much of the USA has a warmer climate than the home country… Retrofitting with a Bosch unit is a fix but…
Had a 73, British racing green…I love the 6 cylinders, only problem was the carb which I replaced with a single Weber which ran great till now! I believed this engine was used in the Volvos.
This engine was never used in a Volvo, I have been working on these and Volvos For 50 yrs. never saw one…
Listed 14 weeks ago?
No mention of transmission. How’s it’s health? Is there Over Drive?
Fiberglass fenders were available in the 1980’s. Fitment was an issue on the ones that I have seen. These look pretty well fitted in my opinion and the paint finish appears consistent from metal to glass. With that said, there appears to be a discontinuity on the rocker panels between door sill and front/rear fenders. This may be difficult to correct. Other opinions welcome.
Non-overdrive car according to Facebook ad. My college car, a 1973 model, had factory overdrive which was activated by a separate stalk behind the turn signal stalk…I do not see one depicted in the photos, either.
TR6 has always been a favorite of mine as they are easy to maintain, have all the “traditional” British roadster qualities, and are free of any electronic gimmicks which will ultimately fail. Lucas electrics were always the butt of jokes but honestly, most electrical problems I encountered were either faulty grounds or trying to undo previous shade-tree mechanic screw-ups.
Many moons ago driving in one of these same color with wires, driving back from Cleveland late at night heard some crackles then smoke then fire from underneath the facia as they say across the pond we E-stopped somehow got the fire out. The driver, a friend & the owner laughed & said yeah it’ll do that sometimes. Truer than true.
This looks like a nice ‘driver’ quality car. Assuming no hidden rust (why the fiberglass fenders?) and mechanically good, then $9.5k is a good solid price, in a market where good TR’s have increased steadily in value over the past couple of years.
Some things to be wary of, and needs plenty of fettling, but what a great start to TR6 ownership. Drive and restore as you go.
Sounds like a bunch of nonsense. FB Marketplace is full of it.
That CD player isn’t 30 years old and it isn’t new, fiberglass parts, I’d check for rust underneath
Triumphs from the ’60-70’s are a lot of fun to drive, but notoriously unreliable. I had a ’73 spitfire.
I wouldn’t say all Triumphs are unreliable. The Spritefire 1500 wasn’t real great but the TR engines were pretty bulletproof.
I would use the word “fragile” as opposed to “unreliable”… Triumphs did require a bit more attention and care than say your average Oldsmobile… owned several Triumphs over the years…
I had a 1969 or ’70 TR6 for a couple of years. Never let me down, and I don’t think I even ever had to have a shop work on it. Did all the minor maintenance and repairs myself. Only got rid of it to buy a practically new ’78 Vega GT which I was going to race in SCCA Showroom Stock C …. but then the twins were born and that ended that. Too busy and not enough money.
I think British cars get a bad rap on reliability EXCEPT for Lucas Prince of Darkness electrics … and knowing that you must ONLY use Castrol “Girling fluid) in the brakes and clutch. (Back then….. I don’t know what you do now.)